BROOKLYN KICKED HER FEET UP on her bedside table. She had her head leaning back against JJ's chest, and she was toying with his lighter that he handed to her earlier. The others gathered in her room to discuss their plans moving forward because Pope was paranoid.
"Okay. So, um... we didn't see anything. We don't know anything." He pointed his finger to everyone in the room. "We need to have total and complete amnesia."
"Actually, Pope's right for once." Brooklyn's surprised to hear those words coming out of his mouth. He, of all people, was agreeing with Pope. "See, I agree with you sometimes."
"Deny, deny, deny," Brooklyn and JJ say, clapping their hands together at their synchrony.
"Guys, we cant keep that money."But we can.
"Okay. Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara," he snipes and Brooklyn feels obligated to glare at him alongside Kiara.
"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs. Otherwise it's bad karma." Kiara raises her hands defensively.
"Bad karma can be implicated in a felony, too. We gotta go dark," Pope says as he places both his hands on his knees and falls back on Brooklyn's chair.
"If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree." Brooklyn nods in agreement. There's no point returning the money now, not when they've already stolen it.
However, her brother was not in agreement. "I don't agree," he says, and Brooklyn can't believe he's against this.
"What? Why?"
"Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about, right? Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than forty bucks in his pocket, and all of a sudden, he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'."
Brooklyn didn't always agree with her brother but what he was saying was right. It was strange how he had all that money, that gun and that Grady-White. The only explanation for all the luxuries would be that he's either selling his body or doing somebody's dirty work.
"All right, so think about it, Pope. How does a marina rat get a Grady-White?" John B asks.
Pope inhales sharply before answering with, "Prostitution," and Brooklyn silently agrees.
"Square groupers, bro," John B confirms. "Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean? JJ?" John B snaps a finger towards his best friend, waiting for his response.
"They were straight smugglin'," he replies with a shrug in his shoulders.
"Smugglin'," John B repeats, facing Pope who still doesn't look convinced. "And I guarantee there's a serious amount of contraband in the wreck."
"For the record, if that is a smuggling ship with illegal contraband on the inside of it... it probably belongs to someone else," Pope claims.
"Minor details," Kiara comments.
"They could come looking for it. Taking it would be catastrophically stupid." Brooklyn snatches the money from Pope that JJ had handed to him previously.
"Right. Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time," JJ says, and Brooklyn smiles over at the boy who is reaching over to snatch the money back.
JJ grins, playing around with a couple hundred dollar bills in his hands, holding it towards Pope. "All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Just act normal."
"Right. And how exactly do we do that?"
"Kegger?" Kiara suggests, and they're all in silent agreement.
THE OUTER BANKS CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD without understanding the Boneyard. It's kinda like a three-later burrito. There's the south side and their friends, the working-class derelicts. Then, there are the Kooks, the rich second-homers. They're mostly from poncey-ass boarding schools, just rich trustafarian posers. Their natural enemies. And then, there are the Tourons. Totally clueless. Here for a week on vacation with their families. Chum for the sharks.
There was this girl who should definitely be introduced— Sarah Cameron. Kook princess. Kiara's best friend in the ninth grade, worst enemy in the tenth grade. John B works on her dad's boats , Brooklyn would sometimes help out, so, you know, they've seen her around. Once friends with Brooklyn but it was short lived when Sarah ditched her for some fancy-ass Kooks.
Another person who should be introduced is Topper. Sarah's not so pleasant boyfriend. Topper actually thinks Pogues were bred to mow lawns. He was an asshole. His most hatred enemy had to be Brooklyn. One night last year he got wasted and tried to make a move on her after seeing she was drunk, she shoved him away almost instantly and avoided him at all costs but he told all of his asshole friends that they hooked up. Asshole.
Brooklyn snatched a beer from her brother before wrapping her arm around JJ's. "Ready?"
"Oh, it's on, darling."
The two held their party cups up to their mouths and began to down their drinks. Brooklyn's arm rubbed his as she steps a little closer. She tilts her head back as she comes close to finishing her drink. Brooklyn threw her drink down on the ground in celebration after demolishing the liquid.
"Finally! I beat you!" she cheers, pulling her arm free from JJ's.
She began to walk off to grab another cup but JJ grasped her arm, twirled her around and dragged her into his body. She let out a small chuckle as his hand slowly traced up her arm and towards her collarbone which made her entire body freeze up.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and whispered, "That'll be the last time you beat me, Angel."
Her breathing hitched as JJ pressed a shy kiss to her temple. "Fuck off." She smirked, sliding her hand in his and pulling him along to grab another beer from her brother.
She slipped her arms around John B's shoulders and leaned her head on his. "Can I have another beer?"
"No." He quickly responded.
"Oh, come on, John. You suck!" She tried to snatch one away from his grip but he handed it off to JJ. "Why does he get one?" She whined.
"Because it's not my problem if he ends up an alcoholic at twenty but you-." He spun around on his seat and pressed a finger to his sisters shoulder. "You are my little sister and I have to take care of you so no you can't have a beer."
JJ raised his eyebrow as he grabbed a beer from the kegger and handed it over to Brooklyn while John B turned back around to face the random kids who were lined up for a drink.
She gave her best a high five. "Ugh, you're the best!" She downed her drink quickly, throwing it across the yard.
"That's littering, baby." JJ toyed, sliding his hand up to cup her cheek.
"Like you give a fuck." She laughed. JJ began to roll a joint which caught the brunette's attention. "Give me a roll."
"Really? Last time you smoked you threw up all over John B." She looked over JJ's shoulder and saw her brother flirting with some random girl who was probably on holiday with her family as Brooklyn had never seen her before.
"So what? Come on, please." She bit down on her lip seductively, her tongue sliding along her bottom lip.
"I hate when you do that." She let out a small moan which made JJ feel suddenly turned on so he handed the girl his joint and watched her take in the weed taste, sucking every little molecule of the drug and letting out a puff of air. Her eyes widened and her body suddenly felt like she was floating on air as she took in another smoke.
"Holy shit." She moaned, handing it back over to JJ to see his eyes not leave hers. He watched her take in every piece of smoke, blow it out and her eyes to close in excitement and pleasure. "What?"
"That was hot." He inhaled the taste while Brooklyn hid the creeping crimson blush upon her face.
"I feel so much better." She giggled. "Man, that's good stuff, J."
"Yeah, well when you have a deadbeat dad, you know where to find that stuff."
Brooklyn's face turned from a tender smile to a sorrowful frown. The fact that JJ's father was an abusive, evil man saddened Brooklyn. She hated knowing that his father would hit him. She remembered one night when JJ came over to the Château, his face completely bruised and battered and her first reaction was to wrap her arms around him and cradle him in her arms for as long as she possibly could. She was always scared for his life whenever he went back home and she always insisted on him staying over at the Château. She had met Luke Maybank a few times but they didn't have a proper conversation and all he asked was, "Are you dating my boy? You're too good for him." Brooklyn just laughed it off and disagreed, her and JJ were basically the same and would be perfect together.
"Brooke?" She snapped her eyes over to the boy, her thoughts being suddenly cut off. "You okay?"
She shrugged it off. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
She stepped forward, her eyes lusting over the small smile that JJ held on his face. Her arms wrapped around his torso as she slipped into his body. She held her hands around his back and dug her head into his shoulder. Her eyes closed as she took in the scent of his tank top. Their alcoholic, drug smell lingered together as she felt her arms wrap around her petite body.
She didn't know what she was doing but feeling JJ wrapped around her again made her feel safe. It made her feel like she had nothing to lose. She didn't care about the bitchy Kooks that walked past with their judgy looks.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled against his shoulder. "I just-."
"It's okay." He pressed a small kiss to her forehead before his body slid away from hers. Her body went cold when she didn't feel him wrapped around her.
"Come on."
The night sky dawned over the boneyard and more people had become drunk and high. Brooklyn Routledge was feeling almost tipsy from the level of alcohol and weed she had been doing under the supervision of her brother who wasn't in the slightest bit drunk or high. JJ was trying to keep her body stable, his strong arms holding onto her for the remaining of the night.
"Brooke, sit the fuck down." JJ and John B pushed the brunette's shoulder lightly.
"I can't believe you got her high, JJ. I told you to never get my sister wasted and now-."
"John B, chill. It's not that big of a deal but now..." He looked down at the girl who was drawing circles in the air with her fingers. "I won't do it again."
"Fuck off!" Brooklyn yelled, not realising how loud she was. "You two suck!"
"Bee, calm down." John B opened the bottle cap of the water he brought with him and handed it to her. "Drink that or else I'll make you."
She grabbed the water and quickly knocked down the water, the cool liquid rushing through her body and suddenly.. she felt somewhat better.
"Thank you. I love you!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around her brother and sloppily kissed her brothers cheek.
"That was gross." He wiped his cheek as his sister stumbled back over to Kiara and Pope.
"I would kill to have her do that to me." JJ whispered loud enough for John B to hear.
"I will kick your ass." John B threatened.
Sarah and her boyfriend walked by the two boys which JJ caught onto. "Oh, wait. Hey, hey Hey, Sarah!" JJ stopped the girl in her path. "Sarah, can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?"
"No, thanks."
Brooklyn stumbled back over to the boys, leaning up to press her elbow against JJ's shoulder. "Oh, come on, princess. Lay off some steam."
"Is it not fancy enough for you?"
"No. We were just leaving."
"Hey, you know what? I'll take it. I'll- Thank you, man. I appreciate it." Topper tried to take it from the blonde but JJ pulled it away.
"That's nice, but I didn't ask you. If you said pretty please, maybe, but you didn't." JJ teased, receiving a smirk from the brunette.
"Oh, pretty please."
JJ ignored the blonde who was just making a fool out of himself and placed the drink in front of Sarah's face. "Yeah. Sarah. You can have it."
"She doesn't want it, you-." Topper knocked the drink out of JJ's hand and pushed him back into Brooklyn who pulled him away before anything happened.
"No, no, no, no." She pushed him back lightly with John B following behind.
"Dirty Pogues!" Topper yelled.
Brooklyn had seen her brother angry on many accounts but this was as worse as it gets. John B lunged forward, his fist meeting the side of Topper's face. Brooklyn gasped upon seeing him knock Topper over.
Topper's face grew angry and all Brooklyn could picture was the night he got pissed off at her for not letting him hook up with her.
"Babe, babe, babe, babe-." Sarah tried to calm Topper down but instead he went for the punch, knocking John B clean to the ground.
"Shit!" Brooklyn cursed. Her brain was finally working and she understood what was happening. She took a couple deep breaths, trying to topple toward to interfere.
Topper continued to knock her brother into the ocean, kicking his ribs in a painful way. "Hey, John B, don't make me drown you like your old man, all right?" Maybe Topper was trying to whisper that but Brooklyn heard him just fine.
She stumbled forward and without control, her fist clenched before it met the side of Topper's face.
"Brooklyn!" JJ yelled, seeing the brunette had knocked the blonde straight back into the water.
"Get the fuck off my brother." She breathed out before being grabbed by the ankle and pulled to the ground. "What?"
"Bee, don't."
Topper rose to his feet as John B did, he wanted to say something to the brunette who just knocked him but before he could, her brother grabbed the boy's waist and dragged him to the ground.
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" The crowd chanted as the two boys squabbled around in the water.
The two boys fought, throwing punches and kicks while Brooklyn spat out the water that had entered her mouth. Her eyes fixated on Topper who was now tackling her brother into the water once again.
"John B." She mumbled, her body feeling suddenly weak. "Fuck."
She tried to get up but as she walked towards her brother and Topper, she was punched by Topper who raised his hand while tackling the other Routledge.
She tumbled backwards, her head smashing against the water. "Brooke!" JJ yelled.
The next few events flashed through her eyes. The last thing she remembered seeing was JJ holding the gun from earlier to Topper's head.
The gun clicked and Brooklyn's eyes widened. "JJ."
"Yeah, you know what that is. Your move, broski."
The crowd rushed off after assuming that JJ was a psycho with a gun. "JJ! Stop! JJ!"
"Did you say somethin', princess?"
"We're good. We're good." Topper raised his hands in the air with the fear that JJ would shoot him and Brooklyn was hoping he would.
"Put the gun down!" Sarah yelled.
Before Topper completely ran away from the scene, JJ grabbed his collar. "Also, you stay away from Brooklyn or I'll actually pull the trigger."
"Kie! Can you check your psycho friend, please?" Sarah grabbed onto her boyfriend's arm, receiving a deathly glare from Kiara.
"Okay, everyone, listen up! Get the hell off our side of the island!" JJ shot the gun in the air twice before he was shoved and yelled at by his friends.
Brooklyn tried to pick herself back up to go and check on her brother but she felt herself plunge backwards into the water.
The final thing she saw before she completely passed out was her father. In that moment, she saw her father swimming towards her and telling her that she'd be okay but then he disappeared and Brooklyn began to panic, her whole body started to shake and she did eventually wake up to find JJ leaning over her.
"She's awake!" JJ yelled to John B.
John B rushed over to his sister. She placed a finger on the deep purple bruise that was forming on his face. "What- what happened?"
"Don't worry about it. Get some rest." John B ruffled her messy bed hair and kissed her forehead.
She touched her cheek, wincing in pain. "Shit."
"Does it hurt?" JJ asked, running his rough finger over the mark forming on her face.
"Fuck!" She smacked his hand away.
"I'm gonna fucking kill Topper." JJ hissed.
Brooklyn wrapped her hand around the boys neck and pulled herself up, wrapping her arms around him fully and just wanting to stay there for as long as possible. She let out a small sob into his shoulder but the tears only made the wound sting.
John B pulled her away from JJ and wrapped his arms around the brunette. "It's okay, Bee."
"I saw dad." She bottom lip quivered as she tried to string out a sentence. "I saw dad when I passed out. He just disappeared."
John B pulled away from her. "I did too."
𝐓𝐁𝐇𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒
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→ lol this chapter is CRAP but i hate writing fight scenes... and just everting idk lol HI